Street renamed for WWII vet once imprisoned in Austria

<p>McKay Road in Huntington Station will now be known as “Staff Sergeant US Air Force Michael J. Colamonico Way” in honor of a man whose service extended far beyond the years he spent in the armed forces.</p>

News 12 Staff

•

Nov 24, 2018, 10:22 PM

•

Updated 2,071 days ago

Share:

McKay Road in Huntington Station will now be known as “Staff Sergeant US Air Force Michael J. Colamonico Way” in honor of a man whose service extended far beyond the years he spent in the armed forces.

Colamonico was a decorated World War II veteran who was imprisoned in Austria after his plane was shot down by German forces over France. He was held for nearly two years before his release in 1945.

He worked to help veterans with the seen and unseen wounds of war, including working as a volunteer at the Northport VA hospital. He was 92 years old when he died back in 2013.

"He was always there with a smile, always there with a pleasant word. Never would have known that beneath the surface, he had sacrificed so much for our country," said Councilman Mark Cuthbertson.

In July, the Huntington Town Council voted unanimously to dedicate the street to Colamonico.

The newly dedicated street is at the intersection of Beau Lane and sits in front of the home he shared with his wife for decades. She told News 12 that she was “very honored.”

“It make me so happy to think that he's been honored in this way," she said.

(Michael J. Colamonico)

More from News 12

2:05